Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Final Summary, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is a state-supervised, locally-administered child welfare system. The system includes approximately 2,000 staff, spread out across 120 local departments of social services (LDSS). In 2016, VDSS had a turnover rate of 29% among their entry level Family Services Specialists. They were working to implement technology tools for the workforce when they applied to be a Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) site. Being part of the QIC-WD provided the opportunity for VDSS to shore up their implementation planning and evaluate their workforce initiative in 18 participating localities.

VDSS conducted listening sessions in each …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Site Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is a state-supervised and locally- administered social services system. There are 120 local departments of social services (LDSS) composed of approximately 2,000 employees who are responsible for providing child welfare services.

VDSS partners with LDSS to provide child welfare services including prevention, child protective services, foster care, and adoption programs. VDSS provides leadership, oversight, statewide mandated training, quality assurance, strategies for developing the child welfare workforce and technical assistance to local agencies. The state supervised locally administered structure allows for variation across localities in hiring practices, human resource and child welfare policies and …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Key Findings, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Background

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is a state-supervised, locally-administered child welfare system with 120 local departments of social services (LDSS). In 2016, VDSS had a turnover rate of 29% among their entry level Family Services Specialists. In response to child welfare caseworker concerns about excessive burdens associated with administrative, travel, and documentation tasks, VDSS elected to implement two technological interventions: transcription services in 2017-2018 and COMPASS|Mobile in 2019-2020. The QIC-WD developed a logic model, supported implementation, and conducted a short- and long-term outcome evaluation based on a theory of change that described how and …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) and the QIC-WD designed a multi-phase case-supportive technology intervention to help child welfare caseworkers complete their case notes and other administrative tasks required as part of their job. The decision by VDSS to implement technological supports for caseworkers was informed by two data collection efforts:

1. Listening sessions, held by VDSS staff in each region of the state, and

2. Exit survey results from all 120 local departments of social services (LDSS).

These data collection efforts found that the biggest complaint among caseworkers, particularly those leaving their jobs, was the lack of technological …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Intervention Background, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

What are technology supports and why were they selected?

According to Berzin, Singer, & Chan, 2015, one of the “12 Grand Challenges of Social Work” is a focus on practice innovation through technology in the digital age. The premise is that by integrating technology into the field of social work and creating practice innovations through information communication technology (ICT), transformative social change will be facilitated. ICT tools include computers for data input and analysis, management information systems (MIS) to capture and record client case information, tapping into to the web to further facilitate access to information and communication via …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Site Intervention Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Each QIC-WD site developed a logic model to serve as a visual representation of their selected intervention. All logic models included four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result or changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes. For more information see Site Overview.

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Evaluation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

The QIC-WD evaluation was conducted with the support of the Virginia Department of Social Services to determine if a Case-Supportive Technology intervention was effective in improving workforce and child welfare outcomes.

Research Questions

The site-level evaluation for Virginia was designed to understand implementation of and outcomes related to two technology innovations: (1) transcription and (2) a mobility application. See the Intervention Overview for more information.

Relationships among intervention components, outputs, and outcomes were mapped out in Virginia’s logic model. Initial research questions of interest included how well the components of the intervention were received by staff, usage of the …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Implementation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

The Implementation Team

The QIC-WD worked with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to establish a Workforce Development Council to lead the development and implementation of their case-supportive technology intervention. The Workforce Development Council was composed of representatives from local departments of social services (LDSS), including frontline caseworkers, supervisors, and directors, as well as regional and state VDSS staff. Additional members of the Workforce Development Council included the Site Implementation Manager (SIM), the Data Coordinator, and four members of the QIC-WD (representing expertise in workforce, implementation, and two for evaluation given the expedited timeline of the project and …

Case-Supportive Technology Virginia - Theory Of Change, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

During the needs assessment process, a theory of change was developed for the primary area of need identified in partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). Through a series of steps and causal links, a theory of change provides a roadmap to address the root causes of an identified workforce problem and describes how and why changes are expected to lead to the desired outcomes. In Virginia, the theory was informed by the needs assessment process conducted by VDSS prior to the involvement of the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD). They found that the biggest complaint …

Telework Washington - Site Intervention Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Each QIC-WD site developed a logic model to serve as a visual representation of their selected intervention. All logic models included four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result or changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes. For more information see Site Overview.

Telework Washington - Evaluation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

The QIC-WD evaluation was conducted with the support of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) to determine if a telework program was effective in improving workforce and child welfare outcomes. The evaluation, as outlined in the Logic Model, was approved by the Washington State Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Research Questions

The evaluation included two components, a process evaluation and an outcome evaluation. The following research questions were used to guide the evaluations.

Process Evaluation Questions

• Were telework-eligible staff aware of the telework program and its timelines, and do they understand how to obtain information about …

Telework Washington - Implementation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Implementation Team

The QIC-WD worked with the Washington Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) to establish an implementation team to lead the development and implementation of their intervention. The Implementation Team was composed of representatives from Human Resources (HR), Information Technology (IT), Training, Continuous Quality Improvement, Union representatives, regionally based DCYF frontline staff and administrators, DCYF leadership, the Site Implementation Manager (SIM), the Data Coordinator (DC), and three members of the QIC-WD (representing expertise in workforce, implementation, and evaluation). The SIM and Data Coordinator positions were partially funded by the QIC-WD. All team members were recruited by DCYF …

Telework Washington - Theory Of Change, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

During the needs assessment process, theories of change were developed for the three primary areas of need identified in partnership with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families. Through a series of steps and causal links, a theory of change provides a roadmap to address the root causes of an identified workforce problem and describes how and why changes are expected to lead to the desired outcomes. In Washington, the theories were informed by various aspects of the needs assessment process (e.g., survey data, root cause analyses, implementation team input) and relevant research on the targeted workforce problems. …

Telework Washington - Dcyf Telework Handbook, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

No abstract provided.

Telework Washington - Dcyf Telework Employee Self-Assessment, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

No abstract provided.

Aligning Tobacco Free Living Agendas In A Community Health Improvement Plan: A Case Study On Democratic Participation And Economic Interests In U.S. Health Policy Development, David B. Tataw

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This paper addresses the gap in studies which use democratic policy making frameworks to analyze health policy development in Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs). The study describes and analyzes three streams of the tobacco free living policy cycle in a Community Health Improvement Plan implemented in a Mid-Western Region of the United States from 2016 to 2020. The roles of public health interest, economic interests, and democratic participatory rights in Tobacco free health policy making are assessed. The policy making process is assessed within an integrated framework of analysis that weaves pluralist, power elite, critical democratic theories, and participatory governance …

Policy Entrepreneurs And The Advocacy For Vaccination During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Julius A. Nukpezah, Latara M. Arterberry

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

The article draws on Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework to examine the policy entrepreneurs that emerged, the windows of opportunity they identified, and the strategies they used to advocate for mass vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article indicates that politicians, public figures, and governmental and non-governmental organizations played the role of policy entrepreneurs. The article asserts that the problems of high morbidity, mortality, and economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic have social equity implications. Although COVID-19 vaccines are available, there is low political support for vaccination. The article draws attention to the problems, politics, and challenges of asserting COVID-19 …

Systemic Racism And Covid-19: Vulnerabilities With The U.S. Social Safety Net For Immigrants And People Of Color, Adam M. Butz, Jason E. Kehrberg

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

America has a mythologized reputation as an accommodative “melting pot” nation that welcomes individuals from all races and countries seeking improved quality of life and reduced material hardship. However, our U.S. social welfare system is more broadly characterized as underdeveloped, restrictive, and exclusionary, especially toward immigrants and people of color. Public health benefits (e.g., Medicaid), food assistance programs (e.g., SNAP), rental assistance (e.g., HCV/Section 8), and cash assistance (e.g., TANF) are oftentimes restricted for immigrants and racial minorities, making them more vulnerable to material hardship and more exposed to pandemic conditions under COVID-19. Moreover, these welfare restrictions are oftentimes rooted …

Gentrification And Nonprofit Activities For Neighborhood Development In Baltimore, Maryland And Houston, Texas, Jesseca E. Lightbourne, Aminata Sillah, Julius A. Nukpezah

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This study examines the role of community-based nonprofit organizations in neighborhood revitalization/community development and their impact on the level of housing services. The neighborhoods in the study represent certain universalities of gentrification in older communities, and therefore selected for the study. By going beyond the profitability of gentrification, this study examines the social costs associated with gentrification through the lens of nonprofit organizations using quantitative data from Baltimore, Maryland and Houston, Texas. Taking into account nonprofit organizations as important actors in the gentrification field, this study contributes to the understanding of the social cost of gentrification and how community-based nonprofit …

From Gentrification, Systematic Racism, Policy Entrepreneurs To The Myth Of Expertise In Academia And Community Health Improvement, Andrew Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

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Jpmsp Introductory Pages, Andrew Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

None

Jpmsp Cover Page, Andrew Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

None

Educating The Multi-Ethnic Population On The Municipal By-Laws: City Of Windsor, Mohammed Shiblee

Major Papers

Although more difficult to articulate than implement, educating the multi-ethnic populace about municipal by-laws is among the most difficult tasks for any Canadian administrative institution, whether provincial, federal, municipal, or even grassroots. When considering such circumstances, the present state of the Corporation of the City of Windsor, or the City of Windsor as a whole, offers both a challenge and an opportunity. In terms of challenges, Windsor is home to a vibrant, multi-ethnic community comprised of local, diaspora and minority populations, which often encounters various socio-cultural obstacles concerning the understanding and upholding of municipal by-laws. From an opportunity standpoint, the …

Fitting A Covid-19 Model Incorporating Senses Of Safety And Caution To Local Data From Spartanburg County, South Carolina, D. Chloe Griffin, Amanda Mangum

CODEE Journal

Common mechanistic models include Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) and Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed (SEIR) models. These models in their basic forms have generally failed to capture the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic's multiple waves and do not take into account public policies such as social distancing, mask mandates, and the ``Stay-at-Home'' orders implemented in early 2020. While the Susceptible-Vaccinated-Infected-Recovered-Deceased (SVIRD) model only adds two more compartments to the SIR model, the inclusion of time-dependent parameters allows for the model to better capture the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic when surveillance testing was common practice for a large portion of the population. We find …

Unpacking Challenges And Reinforcing Evaluations In Bilateral And Multilateral Development Organizations In Egypt, Fatema Elghonemy

Theses and Dissertations

The research examines evaluations conducted in bilateral and multilateral development organizations considering programs that are funded by governments or international organizations. The Egyptian Government partners with development partners to receive technical assistance in various fields, such as industrial development, technical education, environmental protection, health improvement and refugees’ empowerment. The thesis explores the interlinkage between the development goals and the results framework to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). It then goes on to examine the evolution of the function of evaluation and its historical development into becoming a standalone field that serves the decision making, extension and expansion of interventions. As …

Bad Apples Or A Rotten Orchard: Detroit Police Culture And Its Protection Of Corruption, Megan Quick

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

In the light of substantial police corruption and misconduct in the history of the Detroit Police force, the defense of “a few bad apples” is frequently proffered. To examine the validity of the bad apple defense, this paper examines how the DPD’s leadership and rank and file officers responded to allegations and criminal charges for police corruption under Mayor Coleman A. Young. The paper concludes that police culture played a role in law enforcement corruption and points to the importance of understanding police corruption and its causes to better address the issue.

Telework Washington - Intervention Background, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

What is telework and why was it selected?

Telework is a type of alternative work arrangement in which employees perform some or all of their job duties at an approved location other than their official worksite. Other labels for telework include telecommuting, remote work, mobile work, virtual work, distance work, distributed work, work from/at home, and flexplace, though definitions can vary (e.g., Allen, Golden, & Shockley, 2015).

The Washington Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) selected telework in response to several factors identified during the exploration phase of the project:

• surveys showing staff dissatisfaction with the limited mobility …

Materials For Embezzlement: How Municipal Corruption Exploited Social And Economic Conditions In Detroit, Mi, Jimmy Showers

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

This paper examines how social and economic conditions in Detroit, MI, during the second half of the twentieth century were exploited in a specific instance of municipal corruption involving the city’s Chief of Police, William L. Hart. Drawing on primary source documents, this paper argues that Chief Hart corruptly exploited the city’s social and economic conditions and evaded legal intervention over a prolonged period thereby increasing the magnitude of the corruption and exacerbating negative effects on the city’s most vulnerable residents. Media coverage surrounding Hart’s conviction depicts ramifications difficult to measure highlighting a critical need for research into municipal corruption.

Telework Washington - Key Findings, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Background

Washington’s Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) began working with the QIC-WD in 2017 to better understand its workforce challenges and address its external turnover rate of about 26%. The team examined many contributing factors through a needs assessment and designed a telework intervention. In addition to meeting project criteria, two other factors made telework a good fit as the QIC-WD intervention: 1) Child Welfare Field Operations (CWFO) had recent experience with implementing telework as a pilot project, and there was interest in expansion; and 2) there was a new executive order from the governor that required …

Telework Washington - Needs Assessment Summary, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Intervention Summaries

Exploration of Needs

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) worked with the Washington Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) to conduct a needs assessment. A variety of information was explored to learn about the workforce and the agency’s child welfare workforce practices, including 1) recruitment, hiring, and retention metrics and processes, 2) organizational culture and climate, and 3) other workforce processes and initiatives, such as onboarding, mentoring, supervision, performance management, and employee recognition. More specifically, four major types of information were considered:

1. objective data from various agency databases and reports;
2. subjective perceptions of staff and supervisors, …